1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laundry dryer and an air inlet structure thereof, and more particularly, to an air inlet structure of a laundry dryer, in which an ambient air is smoothly sucked into a condenser for a heat exchange with a high-temperature/damp circulation air, and then smoothly discharged from the dryer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a drum-type laundry dryer is a home appliance, in which a heat source such as an electric heater and a gas combustion device is used to heat air and the heated air is blown into a drum to evaporate the remaining moisture in laundry.
The drum-type laundry dryer may be classified into a condenser-type dryer and an exhaust-type dryer. The former is designed such that the air in the dryer is used to dry the laundry as it is circulated in the dryer. The latter is designed such that air introduced in the dryer is used to dry the laundry and then the air is discharged from the dryer.
The exhaust-type laundry dryer may also be classified into a gas-type dryer and an electric-type dryer, according to the type of heater that heats the introduced air. In the gas-type dryer, a heat includes a furnace in which a fuel gas burns, an igniter, and a flame sensor, such that the air introduced in the dryer can be heated by the heat generated at the furnace. The electric-type dryer uses an electric heater that has a heating coil to heat the air introduced in the dryer, such that the laundry can be dried by the electrically heated air.
The condenser-type laundry dryer includes a front cover, a suction hole defined at a lower portion of the front cover to pass ambient air therethrough, a base disposed inside the suction hole, a condenser mounted in the base, and a fan inside the suction hole. The base defines an air inlet that is connected with the suction hole, an air passage, such that ambient air can be introduced through the suction hole and the air inlet, for exchanging heat with circulation air in the dryer.
The condenser-type dryer requires a structure that can introduce the ambient air from the suction hole to the fan in a smooth and efficient manner.
Further, the condenser-type dryer requires a structure that can minimize fluid loss and noise that are caused by fluid friction during the introduction of the ambient air into the dryer.